2009 Alabama Crimson Tide

Alabama 31
Virginia Tech 10
The Crimson Tide get a big win to kick off the 2009 season. Junior quarterback Greg McElroy got off to a shaky start, throwing interceptions on his first two passes, but would later settle down to finish the game 9-13 for 125 yards and two touchdowns. The Tide managed 161 yards on the ground against Tech's stingy defense, led by sophomore Mark Ingram and freshman Trent Richardson. The Crimson Tide defense lived up to billing, holding the Hokies' rushing attack to just 43 yards on 32 carries. Hokies quarterback Tyrod Taylor was never able to get comfortable in the pocket, throwing three interceptions, one of which was returned for a touchdown by Bama's Javier Arenas. Virginia Tech was never able to get its offense in rhythm, and was held without a touchdown until the game's final minutes, when Tech drove down the field against the Bama second stringers. The Tide moves on to face FIU in week two.

As expected, the Tide proves to be too much for FIU. The Panther offense was outclassed from the start, amassing only 82 yards of total offense for the game. The Tide defense forced three interceptions -- two by Junior cornerback Kareem Jackson. On defense, FIU had no answer for the Tide rushing attack, giving up 383 yards on the ground. Halfbacks Mark Ingram and Trent Richardson both had over 100 yards rushing, with Roy Upchurch and Jeramie Griffin adding another 92 and 72, respectively. Though his efforts proved to be largely unnecessary, Junior Quarterback Greg McElroy had a solid outing, going 7-14 with 3 touchdowns and one interception. Sophomore wideout Julio Jones continued to play well, with 5 receptions for 82 yards and 2 touchdowns. The Tide will immediately begin preparations for next week's matchup with the Ohio State Buckeyes in Columbus.

On a rainy day in Columbus, the Crimson Tide played like a team with something to prove, thoroughly dominating the 4th ranked Buckeyes at the line of scrimmage. Bama's running back tandem Mark Ingram and Trent Richardson continued to run wild, combining for 45 carries and 201 yards. The Tide would finish with 288 yards rushing altogether. QB Greg McElroy managed the game well, going 7-10 with one TD and one INT on a deep pass into the endzone toward the end of the first half. The Tide continued to play suffocating defense, holding the Buckeyes to just 171 yards of total offense. The Buckeyes were never able to establish a rushing attack, gaining only 28 yards on 19 attempts. Ohio State QB Terell Pryor was hurried all game, throwing three interceptions, one of which was returned for a touchdown by Bama OLB Dont'a Hightower. The Buckeyes failed to score an offensive touchdown until garbage time late in the fourth quarter, when Terell Pryor hit Jake Ballard for a 13 yard score. Kickoff coverage was the lone weakness for the Tide, as the Buckeyes would rack up 245 yards altogether on Kickoff returns, including a 96 yard touchdown return by WR James Jackson. The Tide victory did not come without a price, however, as Sophomore halfback Mark Ingram will be out of commission for at least 3 weeks with a broken rib. Alabama returns to Tuscaloosa next week to kick off SEC play against the Arkansas Razorbacks.

The Crimson Tide kick off SEC play with a win, downing the Arkansas Razorbacks 30-14 in Tuscaloosa. This game would be more of the same from the Tide, who would win the game behind solid defense and a hard-nosed rushing attack. Freshman Trent Richardson continued to run well in spite of the loss of Mark Ingram, rushing for 120 yards on 24 carries. Senior Roy Upchurch added another 85 yards on 20 carries. The defense held Arkansas to 212 total yards, but looked mortal for the first time this season allowing the Razorback passing attack to go an efficient 9-16 for 102 yards. Aside from a 40 yard touchdown scamper by Arkansas' running back Michael Smith, the defense continued to play well against the run, holding the Razorbacks to 110 yards. The Tide moves on to face Kentucky in a tune-up game prior to the week six showdown with Ole Miss, which some predict will decide the SEC West.